Göbekli Tepe Object Profile

The Boar Cache Near Pillar 35

This object group keeps the boar-related evidence near Pillar 35 separate from broader Enclosure C interpretation.

The Boar Cache Near Pillar 35 visual reference
Boar sculpture beside Pillar 12, used here as Building C boar-sculpture source imagery. Photo: D. Johannes, copyright DAI.

Quick Facts

Site
Göbekli Tepe
Structure
Enclosure C
Type
artifact/cache context

What We Know

The Pillar 35 boar cache is a Building C context with a massive boar sculpture beside Pillar 35, perforated stone plates, a bowl, a fragmented plate, and dark charcoal-bearing discoloration near the pillar pedestal.

Main Details

  • The Pillar 35 boar cache is a Building C context with a massive boar sculpture beside Pillar 35, perforated stone plates, a bowl, a fragmented plate, and dark charcoal-bearing discoloration near the pillar pedestal.
  • Near Pillar 35 in Enclosure C, excavators recorded a striking arrangement: a large boar sculpture close to the pillar pedestal, stone plates, a bowl, and a dark patch with charcoal. This looks like one of the most vivid object contexts in Building C, but its function should stay cautious until a deeper deposit study is built.
  • Dietrich 2023 describes the find as a Building C discovery next to Pillar 35.
  • The boar sculpture is reported about 10-20 cm above Pillar 35's pedestal.
  • The context includes a massive boar sculpture, separate from the 48.5 cm boar sculpture in front of Pillar 12.
  • The context includes two perforated stone plates, a bowl, and another fragmented plate a little farther away.
  • The boar is described as leaning over one of the plates, giving the impression of eating from it; this is an observation/reading, not a settled function.
  • The context is described as a dark discoloration with charcoal inclusions.
  • The source says fire and organic components may have played a role; this remains a cautious possibility rather than a public-level fact.
  • Pillar 12 has a separate boar relief and adjacent 48.5 cm boar sculpture. That object must not be merged with this Pillar 35 cache.
  • Dietrich et al. 2012 captions a boar sculpture and stone plates near one central pillar of Enclosure C. The relationship between that caption and the Pillar 35 cache wording should be reconciled before stronger public claims about central-pillar proximity.
  • The context is in Building C / Enclosure C.

Public Reading Path

  • The Pillar 35 boar cache is a Building C context with a massive boar sculpture beside Pillar 35, perforated stone plates, a bowl, a fragmented plate, and dark charcoal-bearing discoloration near the pillar pedestal.
  • Near Pillar 35 in Enclosure C, excavators recorded a striking arrangement: a large boar sculpture close to the pillar pedestal, stone plates, a bowl, and a dark patch with charcoal. This looks like one of the most vivid object contexts in Building C, but its function should stay cautious until a deeper deposit study is built.
  • Dietrich 2023 describes the find as a Building C discovery next to Pillar 35.
  • The boar sculpture is reported about 10-20 cm above Pillar 35's pedestal.
  • The context includes a massive boar sculpture, separate from the 48.5 cm boar sculpture in front of Pillar 12.
  • The context includes two perforated stone plates, a bowl, and another fragmented plate a little farther away.

Physical Evidence

  • Dietrich 2023 describes the find as a Building C discovery next to Pillar 35.
  • The boar sculpture is reported about 10-20 cm above Pillar 35's pedestal.
  • The context includes a massive boar sculpture, separate from the 48.5 cm boar sculpture in front of Pillar 12.
  • The context includes two perforated stone plates, a bowl, and another fragmented plate a little farther away.
  • The boar is described as leaning over one of the plates, giving the impression of eating from it; this is an observation/reading, not a settled function.
  • The context is described as a dark discoloration with charcoal inclusions.
  • The source says fire and organic components may have played a role; this remains a cautious possibility rather than a public-level fact.
  • Pillar 12 has a separate boar relief and adjacent 48.5 cm boar sculpture. That object must not be merged with this Pillar 35 cache.
  • Dietrich et al. 2012 captions a boar sculpture and stone plates near one central pillar of Enclosure C. The relationship between that caption and the Pillar 35 cache wording should be reconciled before stronger public claims about central-pillar proximity.
  • The context is in Building C / Enclosure C.

Motifs And Feature Groups

  • A massive boar sculpture is present.
  • A bowl is present.

What To Be Careful About

  • Use reported wording where exact locus, phase, function, species, image rights, or restoration details remain open.
  • Keep object description, placement, motif identification, and interpretation separate unless the source explicitly joins them.
  • Pillar 12 boar relief
  • Pillar 12 48.5 cm boar sculpture
  • Pillar 27 low-relief boar and high-relief predator/leopard
  • dromos porthole slab with boar relief
  • Pillar 36 possible porthole-stone predator slab
  • general Enclosure C boar dominance claim
  • settled offering, feasting, or ritual-performance interpretation
  • offering

Source Trail

  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-003
  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-001
  • GT-ENC-C-PILLAR-INVENTORY-001
  • GT-ENC-C-STRUCTURED-DATASET

Open Questions

  • Build GT-ENC-C-CHILD-CENTRAL-PILLAR-DESTRUCTION-001 to separate central-pillar destruction fragments, laser-scan reconstruction, bedrock pedestals, and Pillar 37 relationship.
  • Keep Pillar 12 boar sculpture separate: The Pillar 12 object is a boar relief plus 48.5 cm sculpture in front of that relief; this object is the Pillar 35 cache.
  • Function not settled: Do not present the context as an offering, meal, feasting deposit, sacrifice, or ritual cache without stronger source attribution.
  • Fire and organic components are cautious possibilities: The source says fire and organic components may have played a role; do not promote this to certainty.
  • Reconcile with 2012 central-pillar caption: Dietrich et al. 2012 captions a boar sculpture and stone plates near one central pillar; reconcile this with the Pillar 35 wording before public claims about exact central-pillar proximity.
  • Images not public-ready: Fig. 19 and related source images require image identity and rights review before public display.
  • Which exact source image or excavation figure should be used when public image rights are cleared?

Evidence Review

  • source refs
  • lineage
  • deposit/cache interpretation
  • relationship to 2012 central-pillar caption
  • charcoal/discoloration context
  • image-rights status
  • Keep Pillar 12 boar sculpture separate: The Pillar 12 object is a boar relief plus 48.5 cm sculpture in front of that relief; this object is the Pillar 35 cache.
  • Function not settled: Do not present the context as an offering, meal, feasting deposit, sacrifice, or ritual cache without stronger source attribution.

Object Evidence

What Is Secure

  • The Pillar 35 boar cache is a Building C context with a massive boar sculpture beside Pillar 35, perforated stone plates, a bowl, a fragmented plate, and dark charcoal-bearing discoloration near the pillar pedestal.
  • This object group keeps the boar-related evidence near Pillar 35 separate from broader Enclosure C interpretation.
  • Near Pillar 35 in Enclosure C, excavators recorded a striking arrangement: a large boar sculpture close to the pillar pedestal, stone plates, a bowl, and a dark patch with charcoal. This looks like one of the most vivid object contexts in Building C, but its function should stay cautious until a deeper deposit study is built.
  • Dietrich 2023 describes the find as a Building C discovery next to Pillar 35.

Source Trail

  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-003
  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-001
  • GT-ENC-C-PILLAR-INVENTORY-001
  • GT-ENC-C-STRUCTURED-DATASET
  • Site evidence notes

Boundaries

  • Use reported wording where exact locus, phase, function, species, image rights, or restoration details remain open.
  • Keep object description, placement, motif identification, and interpretation separate unless the source explicitly joins them.
  • Pillar 12 boar relief
  • Pillar 12 48.5 cm boar sculpture

Next Evidence Needed

  • Build GT-ENC-C-CHILD-CENTRAL-PILLAR-DESTRUCTION-001 to separate central-pillar destruction fragments, laser-scan reconstruction, bedrock pedestals, and Pillar 37 relationship.
  • Keep Pillar 12 boar sculpture separate: The Pillar 12 object is a boar relief plus 48.5 cm sculpture in front of that relief; this object is the Pillar 35 cache.
  • Function not settled: Do not present the context as an offering, meal, feasting deposit, sacrifice, or ritual cache without stronger source attribution.
  • Fire and organic components are cautious possibilities: The source says fire and organic components may have played a role; do not promote this to certainty.

Open the parent structure

Sources

  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-003
  • GT-ENC-C-SRC-001
  • GT-ENC-C-PILLAR-INVENTORY-001
  • GT-ENC-C-STRUCTURED-DATASET

Back to Enclosure C